January 15-22
Written January 24
Dear Friends and Families,
| This morning's diary is just small record of our first snow and our
settled winter life in Pommersfelden. Not exciting, but I believe we
will look back favorably on times like this too. |
  On the 17th, snow arrived on the streets and over the backyard. The
street view made me very happy to be retired and not required to join
the early parade of slipping and sliding. The backyard covering
signaled the end of gardening for awhile. OK too. |
| The next day we did manage
to venture out, down to Erlangen for a bit
of shopping and lunch. The roads were cleared by now, so no
worries,
and cold isn't so bad once we start wearing real winter clothes.
A Kiev lesson. Of course, a nice meal helps, inside not outside,
of course. |
    |
 On
the weekend, we started with our regular
Saturday-breakfast-at-the-bakery. This
is one of many at-home practices that have made dieting pretty
unproductive in 2013. Still, we try. As for what else we
did over
the weekend, it's a pretty short list: read, paint (Marianne) and start
books of our America trip. Marianne does artistic paper "scrap"
books and I am trying a photo album book. She's a veteran at her art,
but I am just beginning and realizing just how hard the creative
process is. |
 Monday and Tuesday were more of the same. I drove a few villages
over for some shelves at Mr. Vogel's carpenter shop and passed an old-timer cars workshop that
was fully engulfed in flames. I had often driven past and thought that
I should stop, because the lot was always filled with
interesting-looking old Mercedes, BMWs and other German icons. I may
have missed my chance. |
| Our snow-covered back field offers quiet distraction. Birds are active
at the feeders and the foggy fields are worth walking in, just for the
peace. |
        |
Regards,
John and Marianne